Women have treated the hair on their scalp for cosmetic and comfort purposes since prehistoric times. Men and children also treat their hair, although generally to a lesser degree than women. Many techniques are currently used to treat hair. For example, hair is cut to different lengths with a variety of instruments such as scissors, razors, and electric cutters. Hair is styled in various formations (commonly referred to as coiffures or hairdos), either with or without the addition of foreign objects. Hair is colored with bleaches and dyes. Hair is washed and/or conditioned with a variety of solutions to improve its appearance, texture, and manageability. Hair is straightened with chemical solutions or heated devices. And finally, hair is curled with chemical solutions, by wrapping wet hair around curling cylinders, or by wrapping hair around heated devices such as curling irons.
Hair above the surface of the skin is composed of hard, dead cells known as keratin. There are no nerve endings in these dead cells so there is no feeling from the hair shafts themselves when the hair is treated. In contrast, the skin, eyes, and ears are very sensitive to many of the chemical solutions used on the hair and to the cutting and heating devices. Accordingly, care must be taken during hair treatment to avoid injury to these organs. Nevertheless, injuries are common, both during self-treatment and during treatment by others, e.g., at a beauty salon. It would be very desirable if a protective device could be worn during hair treatment to avoid these injuries and yet still leave the hair completely exposed for treatment.
A number of headbands designed for protective purposes have been disclosed. For example, Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,122, issued Jul. 23, 1991, discloses a headband having a uniform width for protecting the eyes from perspiration forming on the forehead. The Smith headband does not follow the contours of the hairline so it leaves adjacent skin exposed and/or covers up a portion of the hair.
Cionni, U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,412, issued Aug. 13, 1991, discloses a headband for protecting the head and ears from the cold. The headband contains two insulated lobed sections for the ears.
Koritan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,195, issued Sep. 10, 1991, discloses a constant-width headband with a neck shield for protecting the wearer's neck from sunburn.
Manges, U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,671, issued Apr. 14, 1987, discloses a headband for protecting the wearer from eye injury when a hair solution is applied. The headband is a constant-width band of terry cloth with sections of Velcro at each end. A strip of elastic is sewn into the headband. The headband's top edge is straight so it does not follow the contour of the hairline.
Each of the above headbands leaves sensitive skin adjacent the hairline exposed and/or covers a portion of the hair. No headband has heretofore been disclosed which eliminates both of these drawbacks and which follows the contour of the hairline when secured on the head of the wearer.